It's all about the small things
by Slippers31
Summary: Post Cell-saga. Vegeta finds himself in a bit of a dark time. What will become of his life? Will the people around him be able to get him out of his foul mood? (Or well more than usual foul mood)
1. Chapter 1

Hi there!  
So this is my first attempt at writing a fanfic period! So excuse my inexperience, I'm not at all used to post things on this website ^^' also I apologize beforehand on any potential misspells and grammatical errors, it is a working progress!

Comments and rates are always appreciated and ofc constructive criticism, if you have some time to spare :)

Anyway, I don't own any of these characters!  
(Not sure how clear you've gotta be on this one but since it is a fanfic page I assume it would be implied? No? :o )

* * *

Strange, yes strange was the appropriate word for the recent events that had taken place. So many thoughts, feelings and just so much….**tragedy**. Especially for poor Gohan. Losing his father, blaming himself and then having to bare the news to his, now, pregnant mother. The Son family must've been truly shattered by the loss of their loving husband and father.

_"__Oh, Goku… Why did you have to stay dead?"_

Not only did Bulma Briefs feel for the Son family, but also for herself. For her, it was the loss of a friend. Sure, she wouldn't be reminded of it everyday like Chichi and Gohan would. She definitely didn't see him often (not her fault that Goku never repsonded to any invites nor came to visit) so even though she felt sad and lonesome now she was sure that, eventually those feelings would fade to the background. Perhaps remind her with a sting of nostalgia every now and then. Especially when she would remember the days when her and Goku would search for the Dragon Balls together. _Those were the days…  
_She was brought back to reality when she felt the wet and somewhat warm feeling of drool on her chest. She looked down to see Trunks, now finally asleep, resting his round little head against her shoulder. Reluctant to put him down in the crib for the night she decided to hold him for a while longer. His weight, the mild baby scent and the warmth of his tiny body brought her comfort. She surely had been on edge lately and with all the suspense going on who could blame her? The fact that her son from the future had fought, died, been brought back to life and now gone back to his timeline. It had made her mother instincts go haywire. Not to mention the confusion of seeing her son from the future.  
...On second thought, strange didn't even begin to cover the events that had taken place. In fact, it was not enough to cover any of the events that had taken place over the years.

She had gone out on the balcony to get her cranky son to sleep. It was getting harder and harder as he grew but she was thrilled when she found this tactic to be working… For now at least. The still and warm nightair worked to calm him down. She admired the view of the city, the lights illuminating the night, comforting in a way to see the evidence of life. She was not alone in this world.

Loneliness was not something Bulma liked dealing with and it always made her do stupid things. Hell, last time she ended up in the arms of the most egocentric and arrogant man in the entire universe!... Not that she regretted it, especially considering it ended up with the bundle of joy she held in her arms. But still it wasn't exactly something she had planned. She was almost a single mom (considering the fact that father was being less than thrilled to be in the picture) and even though she liked the challenge, today was just… Making her doubt certain things.

"That's enough" She thought. Perhaps this night should be spent in bed and not out on the balcony reminiscing on the current.

**_*Next day*_**

He had finally done it! He had learned to walk, with a stoic face (reminding her of a certain someone) he had bravely marched forward. Bulma was beyond pleased and so proud. But it also made her realize that her little boy was growing up. Sure, he was still her little but one day he would be the same version as Future Trunks. A fearless young man, a _warrior._

Bulma felt her heart swell with pride "my little boy, a hero!" She thought happily. His first steps would be imprinted in her mind for as long as she'd live.

The moment he fell and refused help (again, reminding her of a certain someone) just to get up on his own and competing his goal. Her determined boy! It made her remember… The days before Trunk, she had felt her heart swell in a similair way for the father of her son. It was his determination, his discipline and his intense ways that had drawn her. It had made him mysterious in her eyes. Nowadays though, she would usually just see his bad sides. But Trunks had only inherited his good sides (as far as she could see)

Bulma frowned shen she thought about his father. Surely he'd soon show his angry face and demand an upgrade on his training equipment. Either from her or her father. Especially since the whole andriod situation didn't go down as he had wanted it. And lord knows that when things doesn't go as Vegeta wants, he gets…cranky, to say the least. He is probably furious about Gohan currenty being the strongest and she wouldn't be surprised if that poor boy would take his father's place as number one in Vegetas list of the most hated people in the universe.  
She sighed and lokked at her watch. It had only been five minutes since her mother had taken Trunks to go eat cakes. It was to celebrate his latest achievement. Bulma snorted to that "Like my mom needs a reason to go and buy cakes".

Well, she might as well enjoy her free time while she could. Soon they'd be back and she would have to be the one to convince the little half Saiyan that he needed a nap.

* * *

_Furious_, yes he had been absolutely rigid! He had spent three years preparing for this, with his disciplined mind he knew that his training had payed off. But that had not been enough. And here he was, robbed of the oppurtunity to finally face his rival. Because said rival was not alive. Because he had to go and sacrifice himself like some low class… Vegeta could not pretend anymore, it had been honourable and it was infuriating! How dare he be honourable? How dare he produce an offspring that is stronger than Vegeta himself? No matter how hard he would train, he would never surpass the child. He would never be the strongest in the universe… So he had simply stopped. There was no point in anything any longer. The oss was his and it was heavy, wearing his pride down.

Kakarott's sacrifice was… He shrugged, his mind was betraying him with thoughts that should not be there. Yet, he could not push them away. "His sacrifice… My lack of strength… I am usually the strategist, though in this fight… I was reduced to nothing but a mere bystander!" He gritted his teeth "I might as well be a weak earthling!" hell, even the earthlings had stepped in before him… What did this make of him? He was a prince, he was royalty! He was Saiyan! ...and still… he had **failed**!  
This was unforgivable. He was supposed to be the one defeating the androids and then he would claim his price, which would be defeating Kakarott in battle and regain his rank as the strongest warrior. But then, _this happens?  
_It woudl not have hurt so much if he hadn't worked so hard… At least if he hadn't, he could have blamed it onlack of discipline. But now all he could do was realize the truth. He would never be the strongest and he would never regain his pride.

Fuck this universe, fuck his pride, _fuck his life..._

.

"Hm, that is strange" Bulma thought when she realized the gravity room was empty. "I was sure Vegeta would be in here".

Now when she thought about it, she hadn't seen him for days. Not even at his usual food times. Where could he be?

She went to the laboratory to find her father, he'd probably built something new that Vegeta was trying out... That had to be it! "Hey dad?" She said with a slight raised voice. "You in there?"

"Why, yes sweetie" Came the reply. Bulma walked in to see her father turn around and greet her. "Is it lunch already?".  
"Daad!" She said with a voice of disapproval. "We ate lunch just recently!" Her father could seriously be so distant sometimes. He just chuckled and scratched his black cat, who funny enough was named Scratch.  
"Oh I forgot about that... Stew, was it?" he said amused. Bulma huffed and crossed her arms. "Well, I hope my memory wont be as bad as yours when I reach your age" Dr. Briefs just smiled at that. "So what can I do for you, my dear?"  
"Oh!" Bulma said as she was reminded of the reason she had gone to the lab. "Have you seen Vegeta anywhere? I can't find him so I thought that maybe he's trying out some new training equipment?"  
Her father looked at her rather confused. "I'm sorry sweetie, but I haven't seen Vegeta for a while now. He hasn't used the gravity room nor have I built him anything new... So I simply thought he was enjoying these peaceful days with you and Trunks". Bulma couldn't believe it. "He hasn't been training, _at all?_"  
Dr. Briefs cleared his throat "Not to my knowledge, no... But perhaps he's not using the gravity room anymore?"  
Then... where could he be training?"

Had Bulma been aware of Vegetas current mood, she would have easily found him considering he was in his room. Lying in bed, not even bother getting up for the day. What was the point in that? Go up to do nothing? Or worse, go up to spend it like some regular peasant... No, he'd rather die than to live his life like that.  
There was no purpose to his existence and his life had been nothing but a cruel joke. Born as a prince, to have his people and planet removed from him by a sadistic alien overlord, then to get humiliated by a third class survivor and get his fucking tail cut off by a fat guy who aparently lived together with a cat... There was no end to his humiliation. Life was a cruel joke and everybody was laughing on his behalf. He wanted to kill them all! ...But he couldn't even do that.  
"Curse you Kakarott! I hope you're rotting in hell... Though I'm fairly certain that you are not" Vegeta mumbled to himself.

"Dada?"

Vegeta frowned. Had he gone mad already? Hearing voices was something he only did in his nightmares. Had he finally reached his limit?

"Dada! Dada!" The voice came closer and he could no longer pretend like it wasn't there.

He pulled off the covers and turned to face the intruder. The sudden light made him squint as he looked. No one there... He lowered his gaze so he could se the wobbling figure that approached him. His son... wearing that ridiculous hat the woman always made sure he had.  
"Trunks" He answered while rubbing his eyes. He felt the small babyhands grip his legs. "Up! Up!" He demanded with his highpitch voice.  
"God, I hope he does not turn out to be a pansy" Vegeta thought. "If you want up, boy, you had better get up yourself!" He said with a stern voice. As answer to that, Trunks fell on his behind and started bawling.  
"...I'd better blast that hat of his to oblivion"

Alerted by a crying Trunks, Bulma finally finds both of them in Vegetas room. Honestly, why didn't she think of going there in the first place? Though she had an answer to that, He was never in his room during the day. He only went there to sleep and shower.  
"What's going on?" She asked as she entered the room, picking up their agitated son. She gave Vegeta a grim look and added "What have I said about scaring him?... And what happened to his hat?"  
The Saiyan prince looked at her, annoyed and answered "First of all, I did not scare him! I merely told him that I would not pick him up like some weak human baby! He is half Saiyan and should be strong enough to get up on his own!"  
Bulma sighed. Always the Saiyan talk. That he never grew tired of it was amazing! "Geez, he's just a baby! And for your information he just learned to walk" She argued back. While caressing the soft head of their son she added "And the hat?"  
"Blew it up"

Bulma couldn't belive her ears "WHAT?"  
Vegeta gave her a spiteful look "You heard me! I blast it to another dimension!"  
She stared at him "Why would you do that?" _Why would anyone do that to a defenceless and not to mention adorable hat?  
_"Because, that damn hat is an insult to anyone who wears it and I will not have my son growing up to be some pansy jus because his mother is ridiculous!"  
She looked at him in disbelief. And then she bursted out laughing "You silly goof!"  
Vegeta raised one of his eyebrows. _He was anything but silly... _"WHAT!" He yelled when she waited too long to elaborate.  
"Oh come one! You've met our son as a grown up. You know he turns out to be a brave warrior, so why worry?"  
He had no answer to that. Indeed she was right... However he did not trust life since life was a bitch and tended to play cruel jokes on him. His son being a pansy would surely be a particularly nasty one.  
"Besides" Bulma said and awoke Vegeta from his thoughts. "Future Trunks was brought up by me, remember? So if I'm soo ridiculous then I'm sure he would not have been that brave man we got to know"  
To that Vegeta mumbled "Surely the Androids doing and not yours..."  
"Well, my point is that you shouldn't worry so much! He takes after you a lot so I really doubt he'd end up being a softy... Not that there is anything wrong with that" She added after she realized it was necessary to address.  
Vegeta snorted "Emotional female!"  
"Insensetive jerk!" 

_Speaking of emotions_ "By the way, why are you still in bed?"  
Vegeta pinched his nose and answered "Why can't I be?"  
"Well, you can... Just, you usually aren't during the day. How come you're not training? Are you sick?" _Maybe he had caught Gokus heart virus?  
_"I am not sick! Insolent woman, I just..." _hate my life?  
_Bulma looked at him, confused by his sudden loss of words. "You just?"  
"...I don't need to explain myself to you!" He answered harshly and laid down on his back with his arms behind his head, legs crossed.  
"No need to be mean about it Vegeta... I was just asking" _I was just worried_.  
"Just leave me alone!" He said and stared at the opposit wall. Refusing to meet Bulmas clear gaze.  
"Fine! You jerk!" She yelled and stormed out the bedroom with their, now sleepy, son.


	2. Chapter 2

Done with chapter 2! I will have the rest of the characters appear in this story (like I did with Krillin and Yamcha on this chapter) though mostly it will be from Bulma and Vegeta's POV :) Alsp, sorry about all the errors I probably have missed!  
Hope you guys enjoy and feel free to comment if you want!

Aand no, I don't own any of these characters!

* * *

"Hiya there Bulma!" Said the scarfaced man.  
"Yamcha!" Bulma greeted him with a smile. "What brings you here?"  
"Well you know, Just stopping by..."  
Bulma could hear the slight hesitation in his voice. "You need something?" She asked and quirked her eyebrows. _That man really had no shame sometimes._

Yamcha laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Well uhm, you see... I kinda have this date".  
"Oh? A girl huh?" Bulma asked with a teasing tone. Yamcha blushed and started rambling  
"You should see her Bulma! She's absolutely gorgeus with long hair and curves that you only see in your dreams"  
Bulma gave him a disapproving look "God Yamcha, you are such a womanizer".  
Yamcha started sweating a bit and answered "Well...uhm yeah, I guess that is true. So, anyway I was wondering if I could... perhaps... you know. Uhm, borrow your hoover-jet?" He gave her his signature puppy-eye look that used to be impossible for her to refuse. Now it only reminded Bulma why they broke up in the first place. However, since they were close friends and since he had been there for her many times after their break-up Bulma decided she would oblige.  
"Fine!" She said with a defeated tone. Letting him think that look of his still did the trick. She took out the capsule from her pocket and gave it to him. "Now, treat her nicely! She's my precious baby you know!"  
Yamcha laughed and said "For one minute there I thought you were talking about Trunks!"  
Bulma snorted. "Right, like I would ever trust you with him!"  
Yamcha's laughter stopped "Heey!" He protested. "I'm really great with kids!"  
Now it was her turn to laugh. "Well as you know, Trunks isn't just any kid!"  
Yamcha grinned "I sure do! Say hi to the little fella' for me will ya?"  
"I will" She answered.  
As Yamcha turned to leave he added "And to his grumpy dad as well"  
Bulma stared at him as he walked away. _Did he really just say that?  
_Perhaps he didn't recent Vegeta as much anymore... When did that happened?  
A smile spread across her face. The incident with Future Trunks... Maybe it caused Yamcha to stop hating the Saiyan Prince? Maybe Vegetas sudden outburst of emotions towards his son had changed Yamcha's perspective of him?  
She certainly hoped so.  
Bulma kept looking at the direction the scar-faced warrior had walked off in. Had her perspective of Vegeta changed as well? She wasn't sure to be honest. She wasn't even sure what they were to each other... Her baby-daddy? It sounded so strange. Surely, their relationship had ended with Trunks. Rather adruptly actually.

"Bu-ulma!" Her train of thoughts were interrupted by a chirpy-voiced woman with Trunks in her arms. Bulma turned around to face her mother and son.  
"There you are, dear. I think my beautiful little grandson needs to be fed" She giggled as if what she just said had been amusing and put the purple-haired baby in Bulmas arms. Bulma smiled at her mother and greeted her son. "Hi there my little prince! Ready for some dinner, are we?"

* * *

Yamcha tossed the small capsule and with a poof a sleek, sporty-looking vehicle appeared. He smiled. Say what you want about Bulmas choice's in men, but when it came to cars and hoover-jet's... she sure knew how to pick 'em.  
He'd impress Candy for sure. Yes, Candy was the name of his latest girl. He kept telling himself that she was nice, maybe a _little_ airheaded. But she sure made up for it in _other areas_...  
He opened the door of the hoover-jet and climbed in. Right when he was about to start his cell-phone started ringing. Thinking it might be Candy he answered.  
"Well aren't we in a hurry to hear my sweet voice" _Confidence is always the key_.  
"Uhm, Yamcha?" The voice asked with a confused tone.  
"Oh! Sorry Krillin" The scar-faced warrior laughed and felt his cheeks colouring. "Thought you were someone else".  
"Ah...er, sorry"  
Yamcha shook his head, somtimes Krillin was just too polite for his own good. "No problem at all man! So, what can I do for ya?"  
"Ahem... you see, it's kinda about Android 18" The bald warrior answered.  
Yamcha felt his pulse started to race..._ Oh no!_  
"Are you okay man? Need me to get the gang?" He rushed. Vegeta was closests so he'd go to him first. Then Gohan...  
"N-no! It's nothing like that! No need for anyone to fight! Krillin answered with a slight panic. _This really could've gotten out of hand...  
_The scar-faced man felt overwhelmed with relief and laughed nervously.  
"God, Krillin You scared me there!"  
"Sorry!...again" He said awkwardly. Yamcha frowned. Really why was Krillin so nervous? They'd known each other for years now! There really was no reason why he should be so embarassed and uncomfortable.  
"Well, out with it man!" He said, trying to sound as supportive as he could.  
"Okay, well...You see. I kinda need your help. I-she... She's just... I dunno how to..."  
Yamcha smiled. _Oh, I should've known_. "Krillin, do you want to ask her out?" He asked with a slightly teasing tone.  
"...Yeah" Krillin answered, defeat in his voice.  
It wasn't exactly a secret, even though Yamcha thought it was strange, he guessed that was just love?  
"I just don't know... how. So I thought I'd ask the expert"  
Yamcha's smile grew. "Well, as you know my friend, flattery will get you _anywhere! _When do you wanna meet?"

* * *

Vegeta woke up with a throbbing headache. It was that kind of headache you got when you slept for too long. The proud Saiyan prince cursed to himself. Not even his body would allow him to sleep as long as he liked. No wonder though, his body was not used to this kind of lifestyle. Usually he would train until he almost passed out from sheer exhaustion, but not now. Again he was reminded of his own failure. Damn head would not let it go.  
He rose from his bed and sat on the edge of his bed. _Former warrior... _That certainly had a pathetic ring to it. What was even more pathetic was the fact that he was stuck on this primitive planet filled with peace-loving hippies, the fact that the prince of all Saiyans knew what a hippie was... even more sad. Turned out that stupid television had come in handy afterall. It wasn't exactly entertaining to watch, but at least it was a way to kill time.  
He looked out the window and saw that the sun was setting. "Seems like I have changed my sleeping pattern" He thought to himself. Oh well, not that it mattered. That meant a decreased risk of running into other people. Actually when he thought about it, it did not sound too bad. Not being forced to partake in idiotic conversations or having to listen to the incessant ranting of the women in this godforsaken household. Really, how anyone could have a two hour long conversation about which cupcake was the prettiest... Vegeta shook his head. What sort of absurd world had he gotten himself situated in?  
He pinched the bridge of his nose. Enough with the self pity, _he was thirsty._

As he entered the kitchen he saw that a big plate of food was waiting for him on the table. He walked up to the sink and filled an empty glass with cold water. As he gulped it down he heard someone approaching the kitchen. _Blast it! why could they not just leave him alone? _  
"Oh, hello there son! Didn't know you were in here" Vegeta felt relieved when he heard the voice of Dr. Briefs. Preferably he would've wanted to dine alone, but if there had to be someone present he guessed the old man wasn't the worst of his options. The nightmare scenario would be that dim-witted wife of Dr. Briefs. She would never shut up and could make conversation out of everything. The cup-cake scenario being one of many horrible examples that Vegeta could think of.  
He grunted as a reply to the old man's unecessary greeting. Of course he had not noticed, that man wouldn't notice if the world as he know it would come to an end.  
Dr. Briefs whom was a little more understanding to the proud Saiyan's wish for solitude gave him a polite smile, mumbled something about just getting a cup of coffee and then left.  
Vegeta ignored Dr. Briefs as he left and sat down in front of his plate. The food had been decent, _when it was warm... _But he was reluctant to go and het it up so he ate it cold. When he was halfway through he saw a small note next to the plate. He picked it up to take a closer look and scowled when he saw that it was a message for him.

_"Vegeta-sweety, hope you enjoy my very special curry! I made it from a very special recipe that I recieved from my mother. I will hand it down to Bulma one day so it will run in the family. I do hope she will pass it along to Trunks... Unless you two get another baby? Maybe you will bless me with a little granddaughter? Wouldn't that just be wonderful? Oh my, I'm getting ahead of myself! xoxo Bunny"_

Vegeta felt sick when he was done reading the note and shivered when he saw that the idiot woman had drawn a small flower...or was it a butterfly? Why the hell would she draw a butterfly? Though it should not come as a surprise, if anyone would be so twisted as to draw vermin on a note it would be her. And what was the point in that message? Him fathering a daughter? His scowl deepened at the thought. Not even if hell freezes over...  
He crumbled the piece of paper and threw it in the garbage bin. _Enough with the insanities. _

* * *

Bulma's gaze flickered towards the babymonitor that was placed next to the computer down in the lab. Trunks had fallen asleep without too much of a huzzle. It was really... rare. As he grew he'd gotten more energetic. It had really dawned on her that she was a mother to a energetic half Saiyan. How would she be able to controle him in the future? She had stopped worrying about it when she found out that the future boy was her future boy. But now she started to worry about it again. How had the different time-line version of her managed to raise such a polite and kind young man?  
She yawned and stretched out her arms. She had promsied her father to go over some of his notes for the big presentation the following day. At first she had offered to attend the presentation as moral support, but Dr. Briefs had told her that it wasn't necessary. Her mother would go with him and afterwards they'd decided to go to their favourit restaurant in celebration. What they were going to celebrate, Bulma wasn't sure of. However her mother had a tendency to celebrate the smallest things so it didn't surprise her.  
She frowned when she realized she had lost her train of thoughts. Where were she? _Oh right! _Her realization that she was actually raising a hyperactive half Saiyan. How would she be able to put him in place when needed to? He would soon be able to overpower her. What kind of method should she use as a parent? Maybe Saiyans were polite by nature?... Bulma almost laughed at her own thoughtlessness. The two Saiyans she knew were anything but polite! Well, maybe Goku wasn't so bad. But he certainly lacked manners. While Vegeta did have manners, he was neither nice or polite.  
Gohan on the other hand was very polite and well-mannered young boy. Though he was extremly sheltered... _Oh no!_ She would not raise Trunks in the strict way Chichi raised Gohan, Noway! She would be a cool mom. Yeah, that would also keep her young. She smiled at the thought. She was just simply too pretty to be a serious parent with boring clothes and a strict frown.  
As she pondered on this, her father walked in.

"Ah, Bulma-dear! How are things going?" He asked as he walked up tp her. A bit startled she turned to look at her father.  
"Well I'm almost halfway and I've gotta say dad, so far it's looking really good! You're going to blow their minds as usual!" She answered and gave him a wink.  
Dr. Briefs chuckled "Oh I'm sure there will be even more impressive presentations" He said, a little embarassed by her praise.  
"Oh come on dad! You know you're always the one with the best and most impressive presentation" Bulma replied. She never could understand her fathers modesty.  
"Well I'm sure there will be a lot of impressive presentations this year" He answered and then cleared his throat in a manner Bulma understood as him wanting to change the subject. "So..." He began with a slight hesitation. She looked at him confused. "What is it dad?"  
"I was just wondering if you have spent any time with Vegeta lately?" He asked.  
Bulma was caught of guard. Since when did her father concern himself with her and Vegeta?  
"Hmm, not really... But, why do you ask?"  
Dr. Briefs gave her a serious look and answered "Because I think he might be having a bit of a hard time... I would even go as far as to say that he might be depressed"


	3. Chapter 3

Soo I'm finally done with chapter 3! Sorry for taking so long. I just have so much in school right now and all, not going to rant too much here just I hope you like this chapter and I hope you are doing good!~

* * *

"Woah! Nice ride, where did you get hold of this one?" Krillin exclaimed as the scar-faced man got out of the vehicle. "It gotta have cost a lot of money!" He added and looked at it with awe.

"Actually I borrwed it from Bulma... Kinda wish it was mine though" Yamcha said and gave the hoover-jet a pat. Krillin's gaze went back to Yamcha and he raised one of his eyebrows "That was awfully nice of her... Never thought she'd agree to that!"  
To that Yamcha laughed and tried to look as innocent as he could when he answered "Well you see, I was actually going on a date tonight but my car broke down so I figured, Bulma owes me some favours so I might as well ask her."  
"Oh no! Am I keeping you from your date? I'm really sorry man! You should've just said that you were busy!" Krillin rushed, feeling like such a nuisance. The scar-faced man waved his hand in a dismissive way and said "Don't you worry about it! Anything for a friend you know. Love-trouble is my speciality afterall." Krillin felt relieved. "Well, as long as it's okay with you..."  
"It is! Trust me, it actually feels nice to be able to help for once... I'm kinda sick of feeling useless compared to others, if you know what I mean" Yamcha answered.  
Krillin nodded "Tell me about it!"  
Yamcha encapsulated the vehicle and they both went into a rugged-looking sportsbar. It was that kind of bar that looked bad on the outside but was actually quite cosy on the inside. _It was also a very good place for private conversations._

"So" Yamcha began as they sat down with one big glass of beer each. "What's up with you and blondie?"  
Krillin looked at the condense on his beer-glass and sighed. "Nothing... And I guess, that's the problem"  
"When was the last time you saw her?" The ex-bandit asked and took a zip of his beer. He saw how the baldheaded-man started to blush.  
"A couple of hours ago" He answered with his gaze still locked on the beer-glass. Yamcha, still a bit confused as to why Krillin was blushing so much continued "So, have you talked to her? Asked her out yet or?"  
"...No" Came the answer.  
Yamcha raised one of his eyebrows "Huh... You've just...observed her?"  
Krillin looked up with wide-eyes and answered "I haven't stalked her if that's what you mean! I know it sounds that way but it's not like that! I'm not a weirdo, I promise!"  
"Chill man! I didn't say you were" Yamcha quickly responded.  
The bald man chugged his beer and then continued "Look, here's the deal"

_Krillin had not seen the beautiful cyborg since that awkward incident when they had gathered the dragonballs. He had thought about her though, a lot. He felt lonely and frustrated, lonely due to the fact that his bestfriend was dead and frustrated that the girl he liked was... well not exactly the easiest person to read. She had dissed him and then she had... Encouraged him? He wasn't sure. The only thing he was sure of was that he was confused.  
__That day, when he had laid eyes on her again, he had been in West-city. Contemplating on wheter or not he should visit Bulma or Yamcha. He had been feeling quite sentimental and wanted to see everyone again. But something had kept him from calling on them so he had just walked around in the city. All of the sudden, as fate would have it, he had walked into her. He had been horrified when he realised it was Android 18 and he was sure his face was showing every bit of emotion he felt, everything from dread to admiration. She looked stunning and she smelled lovely too (something he had not noticed before). The cyborg, on the other had, did not show any signs of emotion. No facial expressions nor any hint of feelings in that cool gaze of hers.  
__The short warrior tried to come up with anything to say, but his brain was malfunctioning and his throat too dry. Finally, she raised one of her eyebrows in quite a challenging way. Making Krillin even more confused... After a couple of seconds she snorted and walked past him. His gaze following her flawless movements. He had felt defeated even though he wasn't sure why. However the reason came in form of a couple of words, uttered by the cool goddess before she walked away. _

_"__I guess... I did see you around"_

Krillin looked at his scarfaced friend and said "So you see. It kinda made me think that maybe, just maybe... She uh, wants to see me?"  
Yamcha patted the back of his comrade with a large grin on his face "That I am absolutely sure of! She practically begged you to ask her out!"  
"The problem is..." Krillin answered "I just don't know how!"

* * *

_*The following day*_

Bulma stood at the door, watching a sleeping Vegeta. "How can he be sleeping at two in the afternoon?" She thought. _Gotta be the depression._

She hadn't belived her dad when he told her about his concerns regarding the grumpy prince. But after seeing him asleep at this hour, especially considering the fact that it was Vegeta, she too started to feel worried. What happened to the dedication? The ambition? The lust for power? Was he really this upset about not being the one defeating Cell? Or was it something else?  
She leaned back against the door frame and crossed her arms. Whenever she thought she had him figured out, he did something completly confusing!

"Are you going to stand there all day?" Came the husky voice of the Saiyan. "Heaven's forbid I should be left alone"He thought sarcastically.  
"Oh, Vegeta! I thought you were sleeping" Bulma said. Surprised that he hadn't spoken up about it sooner.  
"I am trying, however, your annoying presence disturbs me" He mumbled.  
The blue-haired scientist felt a flare of anger "Well excuse me, Jerk! I'm just checking up on you!"  
"Why the hell would you do that?" He asked with a harsh tone. Bulma found herself in a tricky situation. If she said what was on her mind, he'd probably be even more angered. Maybe her worrying would drive him away... And she didn't want that, did she? No she wanted him to stay!... _For Trunks sake only?_  
She blinked absent minded and Vegeta felt his irritation growing. "Is the DNA of that scatter-brained mother of yours finally kicking in?"  
"Huh?" She snapped out of her thoughts and frowned. "My mother is not scattered-brained she is just a very happy woman, something I'm sure you're not familiar with!"  
Vegeta grunted "State your business and leave".  
"Uhm... I was wondering if... uhm..." Bulma couldn't come up with anything. She was usually thinking so fast she could hardly keep up with herself, but now her mind was just blank!  
"What?" He said, clearly running out of patience.  
The blue-haired woman was grasping after ideas but couldn't come up with anything good. Finally she settled for "Could you babysit Trunks today?" Wanting to hit herself for the poor excuse to get him out of bed. Her mom or dad could easily babysit the half-saiyan. Not to mention, she never asked Vegeta to help her with their son. He had made it clear enough that he was not interested. However she needed to say something and since that was all she could think of, she'd stick to it.  
Vegeta sat up and watched the mother of his son. The answer written all over his face as his features twisted with a look of apallment.  
"I will be with you!" She added before he had any time to say no. The Saiyan prince raised one of his eyebrows "Then why should I be there?"  
_Good question_...  
"Er... I want to take him to the park and -er... well he's getting faster by the day and I need someone as strong as you to..uhm...keep up with him" She answered. She was really off her game today!  
Vegeta just looked at her with disbelief. "He can barely walk, yet you cannot keep up with him? Are you that slow?"  
Bulma really didn't know what to say to that. Sure he was getting faster and stronger at a quite rapid pace but he was still just a toddler.  
"No..." She answered in defeat.  
An angry growl escaped his throat "I don't have enough patience to deal with your stupid games, woman! In fact, I will never have enough patience to deal with you! So why don't you just leave me alone?" He yelled, not liking the confusion she made him feel.  
"Wow" Bulma thought _"Talk about Déjà vu!"  
_"Really Vegeta? I thought we were over this!" Bulma responded, also aggrivated "I am the mother of **your **son! You have no choice but to deal with me mister!"  
The angry prince growled again and said with a spiteful tone "Don't remind me!"  
The blue-haired woman stared. She felt a small sting in her chest at his comment and asked "Why not?" a threatening sensation of a lump started to form in her throat and chest. She swallowed and turned to exit Vegetas bedroom. She was clearly overreacting and needed to get out before the emotions started to get out of controle. Being angry and throwing tantrums was her thing, not crying.  
As Bulma walked out of the room, Vegeta looked at her as she walked out. He raised one of his eyebrows, surprised by her response.

_...What did she mean by that?_

* * *

The soon to be mother of two sat in her bedroom. It had been weeks since she saw her husband... The last time she saw her husband. She missed everything about him, everything! His goofy smile, his insane appetite... Even his way of protesting when he found her too strict._ "But Chichi!"_

She smiled when she thought about their arguments... Or rather her arguments, he never raised his voice or was mean in any way, even when she was yelling. He was the most gentle person she had ever met, so nice as to give his life for the sake of others. Something she both loved and hated about him. She knew it was selfish but damnit she wanted him home! She wanted her family complete and she wanted a normal and decent life! That was the reason she was always so mad at him in the first place. Though, she could never stay mad at him for too long... Her big lug was just too sweet for that. And now, that big lug of hers was gone... For the rest of her life she would be a widow.

"Mom?" Chichi heard the voice of her teenaged boy. His voice was starting to crack in that typical early-teenage way. She looked at him and smiled.  
"Gohan"  
The mild-mannered boy smiled back. "Are you okay?" _Always so thoughtful_.  
"Yes Gohan, I'm fine... Just missing your father. That's all" She answered. He was studying a lot these days, like the goodboy he was and Chichi could not be more proud of him. _Though he needed a haircut...  
_"Oh..." Gohan answered, uncertain of what to say. The raven-haired mother got up and hugged him. "Geez mom, you sure you're okay?" He asked, bit flustered at her act. She let go of her son and looked him in the eyes "I will be" She said and kissed him on the forehead. Gohan smiled "I miss him too, mom" He thought. As if she had read his mind she squeezed his shoulder in a supportive manner and walked past him, towards the kitchen.  
"Are you hungry?" She asked with a raised voice.  
"Yeaah!" He said excited and was about to exit his parents bedroom when he saw a picture of his father. He looked at it and remembered what Goku had told him. _"Take care of your mother"_

"Don't worry dad, I will" He thought and followed Chichi to the kitchen.

* * *

_*One year and 8 months ago*_

**"DAMNIT ALL TO HELL!"** Bulma jolted. Wakened by the angry and loud voice. "Urgh, that guy never stops!" She thought as she dressed herself in her robe. The heiress exited her bedroom and quickly glanced at the clock _" 4 A.M?" _She felt her irritation grow "Nobody should be awake at this hour!"  
On her way down the stairs her thoughts, now heated and prepared for argument, strategized on how she could threaten him to stop this nonsence. "Sure, I don't mind if that jerk train himself to death... Just don't disturb my sleep!" Her frown deepend by more angry thoughts of the grumpy prince "If I get bags under my eyes from lack of sleep... Forget the Androids. I will murder him myself!"  
She had located him to be outside, on the lawn, by the gravity simulator. "Time to give the prince a piece of my mind" was her last thought before she saw him. When she did though, her anger melted away and was replaced by worry.

The Saiyan looked destroyed, both physically and mentally. He was on his knees with his hands on the ground. A posture of defeat. She had never seen him looking so distraught, Almost helpless.  
When she heard him speak, she thought he was going to adress her with one of his insults. But it seemed he hadn't even noticed her presence. He looked up towards the night sky and spoke "_It is not fair"_. Four simple words, yet Bulma felt the weight behind them. In that moment she saw him. She had felt for him before, both sympathy and fondness. Hell, Yamcha had even pointed out that they were quite similair. But now, she saw him displaying the true emotions that he had. Not just his pride and his Saiyan nature... But him as a person. Behind them were the feelings of a man, a man in solitude. The blue-haired woman felt his loneliness as her own. She knew it from experience, however different, she could recognize it.  
Even though the nightair was mild it had a slight refreshing crisp to it. Which made Bulma unconsciously wrap her robe tighter as she sat down next to the kneeling prince. Acting on pure instinct, she put her hand on his back. She didn't care for his response, all she saw in that moment was him displaying emotions of her own. She needed to reach out to him, to touch him. Completely disregardng the sweat and blood on his back she started to caress it. The tender and swift touch seemed to calm him down. _How long could it have been since someone touched him in an affectionate way?_  
She felt his eyes on her and met them. Finally recognizing her presence, the prince did not betray any emotions. The only sign of his inner turmoil came from his tensed muscles. Rising from the ground to a sitting position, with just his knees on the ground, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to him. Despite knowing this was a vulnerable state for both of them he chose not to care. Her touch was inviting so he decided to take advantage of it. He was no gentleman and Bulma knew that. She responded by kissing him, also choosing not to care. Her and Yamcha breaking up, him finding another so quickly. Like their relationship had been nothing but a swift fling. She had lost her feelings for the scar-faced warrior a long time ago, but the hurt came from him moving on so quickly while she was left on her had been a breaking point for her, even though she didn't want to admit it. She gave up looking for something to comfort her own lonliness, only to, ironically, find that particular comfort in the dark embrace of Vegeta.  
As he rose from the ground he picked her up. Bulma wrapped her legs around him and he carried her into the ship.

No words were spoken, they didn't want to acknowledge the passion they felt for each other. Afterall it wasn't love and it wasn't strength that brought them together. _It was loneliness. _


End file.
